


Game of Time

by carpesidera



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-11-14
Updated: 2013-11-14
Packaged: 2018-01-01 11:10:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1044138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carpesidera/pseuds/carpesidera
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When there was no hope left, Hermione went back in time to change everything- but by changing so much what did she lose? HG/SB, L/J</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

Chapter 1

Hermione looked outside the window of the library, she had known all along that this day would come. In the first few months she had prepared herself for it, prepared to answer all the questions her new friends would have to ask but after two years of imprisonment she thought maybe she wouldn’t have too but now eight months after her rescue. She had no choice but to the thing she dreaded the most, to tell the truth. It was storming outside and the lake thrashed against the land and the trees attempted to take flight, and Hermione Granger fought for words.

“Hermione, Who are you?” She turned and there stood her family, not her original family, there wasn’t her mum or dad or uncles and aunts Hermione had not seen them for many years. But it was her new family, with a loving couple, Lily and James Potter, the red and raven haired couple held between them a sleeping toddler who was sprawled over their entangled legs. Next to them on the arm of the chair, with a rigid posture and nervous smile playing on his scarred lips was the kind werewolf, Remus Lupin pockets but the last member of her new family was the most important, he was the love of her new life and the only person she didn’t want to hear this story, his name was Sirius Black, he stood against the his grey eyes did not glance her way at all but stared daggers into his boots, his shoulders were hunched and he looked like she felt, that they both didn’t want to be here. Attached to his arm as Liana Smith a five foot two blonde with dark brown eyes that had held a jealous look since the moment Hermione had met her, his girlfriend of the past year, Liana Smith was NOT a member of her family.

She looked at each of them, taking them in but trying to avoid their eyes, she didn’t wish to see their loyalty or sympathy. This was her family, but her story was about to change everything.  
“My name is Hermione Ann Granger and I am from 1999, and this… well it’s kind of hard to explain.” She tried to word it right on her tongue but it was hard to put what she was thinking into words. In her head it was a mess of stories and time and in some way lies and it all tasted like dirt.

A rough voice came from the wall, Sirius had spoken up, “Tell us.” He barked it out, his voice was thick, was it with nerves or anger? Hermione wondered looking at him trying to catch his eye for the first time but he looked away. Into Lianas eyes. 

Remus smiled weakly at his friend then looked at Hermione, “Please”. He added.

“Okay, well it all started in 1979, the year I was born.” She started with the very beginning of her life because it was the only place to start plus it was the only part of her life not completely insane. “It was a normal birth to normal parents, mum was 39 when she had me, and dad was 40 I think. They were ordinary muggles, nothing extraordinary about them just dentists from the suburbs. My childhood was quiet and again normal, like most muggle born children I was not very popular with the other children, I was the weird kid who read books and who was always around when the strange things happen like my third grade teachers hair turned into snakes after I corrected her on a Medusa fact and she sent me outside for speaking out of turn”. Hermione smiled at the memory.  
“It wasn’t all that shocking to find out about Hogwarts and magic and witch’s, I was 11 like everyone else when I was accepted into Hogwarts and I thought it would be amazing, I thought that the next seven years of my life would be full of spells, potions, creatures and fun and I thought for once I might have been accepted in a society after hating primary school. Mum and dad took me to Diagon Ally and I got a wand, potions, spell books and I got every other book about magic history that I could get my hands on and that is when I first heard of a fantastic boy, a baby in the books but a hero none the less. That boy, Lily, is in your hands right now, Harry James Potter, the boy who lived. Lily, James your son is the bravest man I ever met.” Lily held her son tighter in her arms, James pulled them closer, and there were tears in the mother s eyes as she looked at her beautiful green eyed son. Remus placed his arm on her shoulder and Sirius gripped himself tighter, if it wasn’t possible Hermione would of thought he had stared deeper at his shoes, a frown burrowing his eyebrows.

“He is not brave, he is a baby.” Lily croaked out, Hermione looked at her and felt her heart break, how did she tell her the truth? How to you tell a young mother that she is meant to be dead, her husband with her and her son an orphan?

“When Harry was just a baby, not even one, on October the 31st 1981, Voldemort came to your house, He killed you first James as you tried to protect your wife and son then he followed you Lily into Harry s nursery where he killed you, you screamed for him to not hurt your son and he did not listen and then after you were killed he turned his wand on Harry and said the killing curse, it rebounded though and hit Voldemort. He was gone and Harry was an orphan who was sent to live with his muggle aunt and uncle.”

“Petunia?” Lily breathed out, pulling her son tighter again to her, he was almost three now but tiny for his age, he had gotten sick after his first birthday and he had never truly recovered from it, he still looked like he was two. He looked like a babe in his mother’s arms and all Hermione wanted to do was picking him up and hold him tight and tell him everything was alright. Retelling this story made her heart break over and over again. She walked over to her friend and picked Harry up. She held him close and went on with her story.

“He grew up with the muggles for 11 years till Hagrid broke down the door of this island place they were hiding in, gave the poor muggles a right scare old Hagrid did. Harry always laughed when he tells the tale well he did.” Her smile turned into a frown almost immediately after it appeared.

“He came to Hogwarts after that, wand at the ready for learning but for six years of his education he faces Voldemort and his followers five of out the six years, his third year we helped a convict escape from Dementors.” Remus was about to protest about the convict part but Hermione raised a hand to silence him, “Enough, for today, I am tired and my head hurts and please.” She handed back Harry and turned away to the window again, her mind turned off and eyes glazed over.

Remus moved towards her and put his arm on her shoulder, she looked up and smiled, the girl who had been talking a minute before was gone in her place stood an empty shell of a witch.  
“We should go.” He stated and the group all quietly moved out. Tears rolled from Lily s face as she looked over her shoulder. Hermione was just staring at the window, not seeing, not feeling.

Sirius was almost forced from the room by his girlfriend, his eyes not leaving the small brunette until he was out the door, the shrill voice of Liana echoed on the walls, "What if this is just another one of her stories?"


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter 2

Hermione was led back to her bed by two nurses her mind far off in another world.

“Wonder where she goes every day.” One nurse said to the other.

“Who knows but after everything I hope it’s nice.” The other replied. She brushed Hermione’s hair away as she stared at the ceiling.  
It was bright where she was, bright and loud but a nice loud, a loud that just makes you feel comfortable and not alone in any way. It was a wedding of two member of the Order, she didn’t remember their names, but she wore a lovely dress and he was not nervous in any way as he waited at the end of the aisle. Hermione wished they could of given these loving couples a proper wedding not one in the middle of nowhere with only soldiers as guests. She wondered as she sat at the back if the bride’s parents were there or if her old school friends laughed and gossiped as she had gotten dressed this morning. Probably not nobody had laughed for a very long time.

It was an hour later when she was alone that the noise died down that Hermione felt completely alone. Her friends were away again, destroy something or hiding, she was not given the details. This was not like back in school when it was just her, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. When it was them researching in the library, they only spoke about it amongst themselves, sneaking off and breaking the school rules and just scraping through with their lives. That was how they did it but now, now there was a war going on and you can’t just have three only just over age wizards and witch fighting together, going in blind, now there was hierarchy and strategies and plans and everyone said that she needed to be hidden as the most wanted muggle-born in all the country she was at threat every day and every week she was moved from safe house to safe house.   
Harry was on the move daily hiding away from the world too until he is strong enough to kill Voldemort, and Ron was with him or at least he was a month or two ago according to a scribbled letter she received. She was only allowed into certain meetings with the order because she was not of rank; she was neither an Auror nor a senior member of the Order Of the phoenix. She was but a girl who read books often, and that did not give her clearance. Though she did provide a lot of the notes for the meetings she was allowed in, which meant she spent a lot of time in the library of the safe house which is where she was now, she was meant to be looking up the similarities between Voldemort s attack of Edinburgh and his attack on Cardiff, seeing if there was anything that they might be able to expect and counter-act. So far she was more distracted by the swarm of people outside, the wedding had disbanded hours ago so there was no reason for the entire household to be in the garden.

Mrs Weasley was amongst the group, she had arrived a few days prior and had been locked in meeting all night and day, now out in the sun Hermione could see the toll the war had taken on the mother, she had lost weight for starters and her once shining red hair was dull, cut short and looked like it hadn’t been brushed in days. She wore odd clothing nothing matched and she looked old, older then before like in the last two years she was aged fifty years. Hermione rose from the chair the moment she saw the older woman break down into tears on the front lawn, no matter how bad it was Mrs Weasley stayed strong, her crying was a bad sign. A very bad sign.

Running from the library to the front door took forever her body felt like it was working in slow motion. When she finally got outside, three women were consoling the distraught red head, they were unknown to Hermione, another batch of soldiers brought in to recuperate before going out again. She pushed them aside, they tried to push her back but she ignored them and jumped into the arms of Mrs Weasley who held her tightly, even though she had no idea what was going on Hermione broke down too, her tears soaking Molly’s shirt, whose own tears did the same to Hermione’s silk singlet (she had yet to change from the wedding). They clung together for god knows how long, when they broke apart both were breathing heavily, Mrs Weasley looked dead on her feet and Hermione felt the same. Holding each other up, they clambered into the house, still not saying a word. It wasn’t till they both had a cup of tea in front of them that the conversation started.

“We got word, Hermione.” Mrs Weasley started looking down at the table tracing patterns on the uneven top.

“Of what? Is Harry okay? Ron?” Hermione blurted it out no letting Mrs Weasley finish her sentence.  
“I am so sorry my dear, Harry is gone as is my… my Ron…” She struggled to get the words out, tears falling freely. Hermione froze, no thoughts ran through her head, no breath left her lips, her whole body just stopped. She had no life without Harry and Ron. She had no life before them and she knew she would have no life after them, it was because of them she was fighting, it was because of them she was hiding, it was because of them she knew what family was, what friendship was, what love was. It was because of them she knew how to be her. They were gone.

It couldn t be real, she thought after she unfroze, “It can’t be real.”

But Mrs Weasley s face said it all, this was real, they were dead. They had lost.

“What do we do now? Harry was going to kill Voldemort, if he is gone who does that? Neville? Neville could kill him I guess but he has no training in fighting, but we could teach him, he was good in the DA but that was primary school stuff, he needs Auror training, maybe Remus could teach him the wand stuff, I will teach him the book stuff, we could get it done or maybe Remus could kill him, he knows all the magic behind it and the book stuff on the curses and dark magic around him. I could do it, but I would need clearance, you could get me clearance right? Can’t you Molly? I will get the clearance I will learn the spells and I will kill him, you can get the clearance right?” Hermione spoke a mile a minute, her mind racing, catching up on the moment it froze. She knew she could do it given the chance she could kill Voldemort! SHE WOULD KILL VOLDEMORT!

“No!” Molly said quietly looking up for the first time.

“What? Molly don t you understand I can end this!” Hermione stood up quickly, not understanding how Molly could say no.

“NO HERMIONE! I will not lose another child! I have lost George, Percy Harry and Ron! Ginny is in hiding and I have no idea where she is, my other kids are off in the middle of a war field! And Miss Hermione Ann Granger I will not lose you as well! You will not do this!” While Molly wasn’t calm while she said this, she did sound like her old self when she was truly mad at the twins for doing something, when anger was not enough to get through to them. It shut Hermione up very quickly.

“I have to do something!” Hermione exclaimed she sounded and felt defeated,

“Right now you should just go to bed and get some rest, tomorrow I think you should could into the meetings, it’s time you had a bigger role.” Molly ushered her up the stairs, both too exhausted to speak again.

When Hermione lay in bed, curled up tightly she prayed to whatever god she thought was out there that they were safe and happy now.

“Hermione”! she heard a voice yell in her head, “Hermione!” 

!*!*!*!*!*!**!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!**!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!**!*!*!*!*!

Remus shook the frail girl’s shoulders as she tossed and turned in her sleep. She woke with a start.

“Harry!” she yelled out then her eyes met Remus . They went from being bright to dull in a second. Her mind switched off and turned away.

Remus cupped her face with his hands, “Come back to us ‘Mione. Please come home.” Tears fell as he looked into the unseeing eyes of Hermione Ann Granger.


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter 3  
Lily rocked on the chair next to the bed, her eyes on the sleeping brunette. She could hear James and Harry playing in the other room, some game which involved a dragon and a knight and a lot of noise. She smiled as she heard Harry yell DADDA! And James laughing. She leaned over and grabbed Hermione s hand, “Hey darling, Can you come back now okay? I need you to come home. You need to finish that story, yeah, and Harry needs his god mum and guess what? ‘Mione I’m pregnant again, it’s a girl I am sure. I haven t told James. I’m scared. So can you come back and tell me everything is going to be ok? You always use to tell me everything is going to be ok.” 

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^**^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^**^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^**^*^*^*^*^*

Hermione came down the stairs from the safe house, the kitchen was full of solemn soldiers, for the first time there was no talking or sounds at all, just people staring at their coffee or tea. Molly sat amongst them, she was learning against the table, her eyes down cast and her cheeks flushed. It looked like she had not slept. Hermione went over and touched her arm, her outburst still on her mind, Molly smiled and handed her the cup of coffee.

“I always hated this ghastly stuff.” Hermione raised it to nose, it smelt bitter and instant, “Same.” She placed it on the counter and looked at the older woman.

“Remus wants to speak to you.” Molly said. She looked exhausted as she spoke as if she was not happy about Remus wanting to talk to her.

“Why?”  
“You wanted to be involved in this bloody war and you are.” She snapped, the motherly attitude had almost gone and for a moment the angry and defeated took her place, but as quickly as she snapped she returned to her motherly façade, “Sorry dear, just go into the study.” She smiled again though Hermione could see the strain it took to make that smile.

Hermione hugged her and headed towards the basement or as they called it the study or war room. It was quiet down there, quieter then the entire house combined. The old iron frame door was wide open but only a flicker of light exited the room. When she entered she was shocked by how empty it was, she had never been in here, and all her meetings had taken place in the Library or her room. There was only a small desk and a few chairs and a few candles lit the room. Her old teacher sat on one of the chairs staring into one of the candles, the weak light does not help his appearance, his face was sunken, he had not brushed his hair in what looked like weeks and it had not had a cut for so long it now brushed his shoulders, his clothes hung off him more then they use to and his werewolf scars were more prominent under the yellow light.

Hermione knocked on the open door and startled him, he had bags under his eyes and they were red raw.

“Hey, Hermione.” He said weakly.

“Remus.” She replied just as weakly.

He rose from the chair, he looked shorter Hermione noticed when they hugged awkwardly. They had not spoken in months, so long now that Hermione could barely remember what they had spoken about.   
“You wanted to see me?”   
“Molly said you wanted a more active role in the war, I would like to tell you about a new plan to kill Voldemort.” Hermione smiled at the words, kill Voldemort, it made her feel something in her stomach, something good.

“I’m in.” It took less than a heartbeat for her reply and Remus visibly shuddered.

“I wish you hadn’t said that, Hermione. I so wish you had not said that. Why can t you just read your books?” He sat back down and looked away from her. Tears shone in his old grey eyes.

Hermione was confused, “You offer me the job then pray I don t take it? Remus I am tired of being the girl with the books. There is a war going on and I have lost everyone, mum and dad and Harry and Ron, I lost my best friend and the love of my life in one day! I will not sit back and watch more people die. I WON ‘T!” She slammed her fist against the wall, the skin broke and blood bubbled to the surface.   
“Shit.” She muttered.

Remus looked up at the bang, Hermione, “I’m asking because Mrs Weasley wants you in the war, she knows you are going mad here. I don t want you doing this and I never would have asked you. But Mrs Weasley is right, you are an adult and you deserve the right to protect this world. This task can only be done by you, in two days you are twenty years old, the same age as Lily and James Potter when they died.”  
“So?”  
“So this task or mission or whatever you wish to call it will take you back to when they are alive, twenty years old with a young Harry, not even one yet, a few months before Halloween when they are meant to die.”   
“You can’t go back that far, only hours at a time, five at the most, I’m not an idiot Remus.”  
“There is a potion, for every sip you go back a year, it’s new, it is unknown and well untested. But it’s all we got left, our army is less than a hundred now and Voldemort s growing in power every second. You are all we have left. You need to go back in time and take Lily’s spot in the nursery, you need to kill him. You have had so many people die for you because of Love, Hermione, so many people have died protecting you. You might survive it.” There was no need to ask what ‘it’ was.

“No one has died for me.” Hermione stated, confused on who would do such a thing.

“Harry did, Ronald, your parents and your class mates, people who have fought by your side have known how important you are. Hermione all these people died for YOU! Now you have to make sure their deaths are not in vain.” Hermione stiffed as every name was called, “They didn’t die for me, they died for Harry! For the light! Not me! I will do this Remus but don’t confuse their deaths for love. Harry and Ron possibly, and my parents yes but they didn’t die to protect me. They died because I wasn’t there because I couldn’t save them. I will do it but when I stand there in that nursery I will die for Harry and he will have all the protection he would have gotten from Lily because I will die for him, for my love for him.”   
“I hate the idea of sending you to your death.” Remus rose from his spot and strode across the room, his hand reached out and stroked her face, and Hermione leant into the touch,   
“I know you do, but hey if I do this right, you won’t even remember this conversation so that’s a plus.” Remus smiled as tears fell from his eyes. For a moment they just stood there, the last remaining marauder and last member of the Golden Trio, the survivors.

Hermione broke the silence as she stepped back from her old professor, “When do I leave?”  
“Today, you need to pack a bag, non-descriptive clothing, so just tank tops or shorts and jeans. Nothing that screams nineteen nineties fashion.”  
Hermione smiled at his words. “Dull and normal Hermione clothes, okay I can do that.”  
A thought struck her, “What about the horcruxes? If I go back 19 years in the past the horcruxes won’t be destroyed and Halloween is only a month away! I can’t destroy the horcruxes and work my way into the Potter’s life to take the place of Lily in that nursery.”  
“I have already worked this out,” he pulled a piece of parchment from his desk, “This is a list of all the horcruxes and where they are hidden, you will give this to Dumbledore, he will then get you into the Potter house as a nanny to act as protection against Death-eaters and to look after Harry when Dumbledore has Lily and James come into Hogwarts for meetings, Peter did before so this way we kill two bird with one stone you get to be there and you keep that monster away from their boy.”  
“You really have this all worked out don t you?”   
“Yes, so don t screw it up!” Hermione laughed as she slowly walked to the door, “I’ll go pack and then I will be ready.”  
“See you soon.” Hermione walked back up the stairs.   
It took no time at all to pack her bag, half with clothes and half with parchment, quills and ink. She needed them as much as she needed clothes. She was back within the hour to find Remus and Mrs Weasley in the old basement. Mrs Weasley looked as if she had been crying but the moment Hermione walked into the room she smiled.

“I wanted to say goodbye before you go.” She said as she pulled the young witch into a hug. Hermione felt tears in her eyes.

“Thankyou Mrs Weasley for everything, you were like my mum. My magical mum and I love you.” Hermione croaked out as they hugged once again, “I will bring back all your boys and I will do it without war or fighting and you get the life with them that you deserve.”   
“I don t want to lose you! I have lost everyone else.”  
“I know but hey you won’t know me anymore. So don’t worry about it.”  
“You would have been a fantastic daughter-in-law.” Hermione nodded and faced Remus, her hand out stretched waiting for the potion. When he handed it to her, in silence, she took a good look at it. It was clear, just like water but she could feel its magic under her fingers, it was strong.

“Nineteen sips, no more no less.” Remus reminded her,” you will appear here in this basement, and then get to Hogwarts and see Dumbledore. He will know what to do.” With a fake salute Hermione uncorked the bottle, pulled her bag higher on her shoulder, felt for her wand and sipped the potion.

It tasted like shampoo.

The world swirled and spun around her and before she knew what was happening she collapsed on the floor, her knees giving up. For a few moments she felt sick then it passed. She looked around, the room was almost the exact same as it was 19 years in the future. She felt for her wand and pulled it from her pocket. With a nod and a flick she disappeared from the room and crash landed in Hogsmead .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is the end of the completed chapters, now i have the half arsed ones i wrote a year ago so bare with me please! I should have it done by saturday at the latest but no promises. If you like what you see please let me know i love to know people read what i write.

**Author's Note:**

> this is a repost of a story that i posted a few years ago on ff and i want to rework it so here it is. let me know what you think.


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